Shorts
by TwiGurl5000
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short stories based on the ultimate coupld: Taang! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**16**

Toph decided that for her sixteenth birthday, she wanted to be left alone. Naturally, everyone ignored her wishes and showered her with gifts, treats and songs. It wasn't until Aang found her retreating and gave her a gift – one small kiss- that she decided she'd do the same thing next year.

**Robot**

"It's just a stupid toy," she teased. "Look, I can do everything it can do in half the time."

Aang rolled his eyes and made the toy robot reach under the lowest toy shelf to retrieve a folded piece of paper. "Read it," Aang said. So she did. While breaking her promise to herself that she'd never let a boy make her cry.

**Dance**

Being blind, Toph picked things up faster than the most talented dancer could. When she felt Aang hold his hand out to Katara, she wished someone would come along and show those two noodle-heads how it's done.

**Jerky**

"It's processed meat."

"_It's processed meat!_" she mocked.

"That has to be the worst thing you can put in your body."

Toph laughed. "That's what _she _said."

"Why do I even bother?"

**Waterfall**

Appa was being tended to by a healer who'd found refuge at the base of theMountain Range. After making the long grueling walk to the temple, Aang took inventory of the things they may have dropped in their climb while Toph wandered off. He was sweaty, covered in dirt, and looking forward to a long soak in the fountain. He stopped at the body distorted by the running water. He could only make out milky white skin and striking dark hair on a beautifully figured body. He barely had time to blush before he dodged boulders twice his size.

**Poker Face**

It was Toph's idea of a game. They both had impassable faces, though Aang's was beet red. He had only his jeans on, while Toph wasn't as lucky. She called it beginner's luck. He glanced at his cards, then back at her face, very careful not to stare at her bra and panties. He felt his heart spike when she smirked.

"Read 'em and weep!" she said, smacking her 9, 10, and Jack of hearts on the table.

Aang sighed and prepared himself for the embarassment ahead. He laid his cards on the table, not taking his eyes off hers.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she yelled when she saw his royal flush.

"Alright, well I guess the game's o…" he trailed off when Toph reached behind her back to unhinge her bra. He covered his eyes and ran from the table, hitting the wall and succesfully knocking himself unconcious. Toph laughed hysterically and began gathering her clothes. "Poor kid can't call a bluff." She walked over to where he lay on the floor. "You couldn't handle it anyway, Twinkle Toes."

**Memories**

"Remember that time Sokka made you pee your pants?" she laughed.

"No," he blushed.

"Yes you do!" Toph said. She turned to the girls from Aang's calculus class he'd been chattng with. "He remembers. He's just shy. Oh, and you won't believe what happened when we were playing poker the other night!"

**Show Off**

Aang did a running back handspring with ease, landing with a back tuck.

"Show off," Toph muttered while trying to perfect her cartwheel.

"Keep your legs straight," Aang instructed. He helped bring her legs over her head, causing her arms to collapse and sending them in a heap of limbs on the grass. "This is impossible!" she said, struggling to move his weight from on top of her. They ended up locking eyes and haulting their struggles for a moment.

"Uh…" Aang blushed and backed away as if her skin was on fire. "Sorry."

Toph, never letting an embarassing moment pass, decided to have a little fun. "Are those your car keys in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Toph!"

**Burn**

She didn't expect the metal deck of the fire navy fleet to be boiling hot under the sun. The second Appa touched down, she hopped off…then hopped right back on again with a startling scream about how her feet were burning. Aang had to carry her below deck, but he didn't mind the earthbender depending on him for a few minutes.

**Paste**

"How the hell did you manage this?" Katara asked, cutting the dried glue from Toph's hair. Aang was no where in sight.

"Ask your stupid boyfriend. It was his idea. Ow! Not so hard!"

Katara tsked and alternated between scissors and a comb, trying to save what she could.

"Aang is not my boyfriend. How did this even get stuck in your hair?"

Toph sighed. "I bet Aang that I was a better glue bender since it's made from things from the earth. He laughed and said he was better and we..well you know the rest."

Katara shook her head. "I swear, you two are the most mischevious twelve year olds I've ever met. Where is he anyway?"

"Probably the ceiling if the glue's dry."

"The c…." Katara ran outside to discover Aang covered in green goop, stuck to the ceiling of the beach house. Toph emerged from the room waving the scissors in her hand.

"I won the bet."

**Wonder**

He never noticed Toph in a romantic way. It wasn't until they decided to play volleyball (a sport that she managed to dominate at, despite her height) Aang couldn't help but appreciate every spike, set and bump she made while prancing around in those little white shorts. When the ball smacked him in the side of his head, he focused more on the game he was losing.

**Morning**

Toph heard a high pitched ring, waking her up from her sleep. She left the comforts of her bed to search for it, discovering it got louder as she left her room. She opened the front door of the student apartment she shared with some friends and was greeted with an icy bucket of water to the face.

Aang was grinning on the stairs. "Rise and shine! It's five A.M on this beautiful Saturday-" he couldn't finish the statement because Toph lunged for him, chasing him down the block of dormitories, screaming how she'd murder him slowly and cruelly. He easily outran her, laughing at his revenge but decided he'd take it up a notch.

"Nice underwear, by the way!"

Toph stopped in her tracks and looked down at her panties. She covered them the best she could with her hands and doubled back to her dorm.

"What do they say on the back?" Aang yelled.

"It says 'You're dead, Twinkle Toes!"

**Belch**

Aang eyed the shot glass carefully as Toph tilted her head back once again.

"We're under age," he said.

"Who cares? We're young! We have time to make stupid mistakes," she said, letting out a loud burp.

"Very lady like," he commented. He ducked out of the way of her punch and sipped his soda again. He wasn't looking forward to carrying her across campus back to her drom once she passed out, but he knew someone had to take care of her.

**Blinding**

Toph groaned at the splitting pain when the sunlight hit her eyes. She barely had time to roll over and wish for more sleep when her stomach clenched. She ran to her bathroom and hurled.

"I told you not to drink," Aang said, getting up from his spot on the floor to hold her hair.

**Royal**

"So, technically you're a princess?" he asked.

"Sort of," Toph shrugged, walking on the railing of the bridge that crossed the small stream in her back yard. It was only six years ago that she and Aang had been in that very spot, right before they were captured by her earth rumble rivals.

"So, you'll get married to someone who's sort of like a prince, right? Someone who's held with the same honor, widely known and admired, travelled the world?"

Toph laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Wait, do you know someone like that?"

"Nope," he said, and immediately regretted it. Toph tilted her head to the side when she felt his lie, but she decided not to press him on it.

**Sick**

She never liked flying on Appa, but recently she'd been hating it more and more. She asked Aang to stop for the third time that day, and jumped the second she smelled the earth.

"Did you eat something bad?" Aang asked.

Toph shook her head."No. It just doesn't like what we've packed to snack on."

"What doesn't?" Aang asked, wondering what unseen force was making his fiance ill.

"The baby."

"…."

**Apple**

"Zuko told me about this game," Aang said, placing the apple on Sokka's head. "Since you're not a firebender, we'll do it with earth bending."

"Why am I doing this again?" Sokka asked.

"Oh, hush Snoozles. It's only a game," Toph said, reading Sokka's nervous vibrations before finally feeling the apple on his head. She shifted her foot and punched just as a rock went flying out of the ground and crushing the apple. Sokka ran away, and Aang coughed up five copper pieces. He stopped just as she held out her hand.

"Wait a second…Zuko told you about this game, didn't he?"

"No!"

"I'm asking him."

"Hey, don't do that!"

**Networking**

"Why do you waste your time on that stupid website? No one cares what you're doing every second of every day."

Aang ignored her and continued browsing his news feed. "It's an easy way to stay in touch with people. You should check yours."

"Fine." Toph logged on and was immediately bored. When she saw Aang's status, she decided to play a harmless prank, hoping to get him unhooked from networking. It wasn't until Aang got home that he noticed something off. There were several posts on his wall from friends. He started at the top, and scrolled his way down finally seeing what the sudden attention was about.

Katara: A social network with hundreds of people is not the place to share this information.

TyLee: Aww!

Suki: Whoa…wait, what?

Sokka: Way to go, Champ!

Zuko: Well…this is unexpected. And a little gross.

Toph: Thanks for the pity sex. Try not to go so hard next time, my head kept hitting the wall.

**Glow**

Aang knew Toph couldn't see the sunset, and he knew it was nearly impossible trying to explain it to her, so they sat at the top of the hill in silence. Appa dozed behind them, providing the perfect place to lean on. He glanced down to comment on the breath taking scene before them, when his breath caught in his throat. Her alabaster skin held every color the sun projected like a dazzling canvas brought to life. When she glanced up at him, confusion written on her face at the sudden speeding of his heart, he saw the sun dancing in her eyes. It was his hand that went out to touch the curve of her cheek, but she was the first to lean in to their innocent kiss.

**Rushing**

"Toph!"

"What!"

"We're going to be late!"

"Relax, they're just playing the previews!"

"The previews are the best part!"

"Your gay little vampire movie will be there tomorrow. And the next day, and the next week and the next month!"

"You should have taken a shower earlier! You know I wanted to see opening night!"

"Why? So you can listen to a bunch of twelve year olds can scream for two hours?"

"What's taking you anyway?" He was leaning by the door, waiting for her to come down the stairs. She did, annoyance written across her face and her hands on her hips. She only had time to put on her bra and panties when Aang began getting impatient.

"Just go without me."

"They'll show it next week," he said, running up the stairs and scooping his girlfriend into his arms.

**Custard**

Toph listened in partial disgust as Aang devoured one custard tart after the next. He offered her to try them on more than one occasion, but she declined. She didn't feel like eating much.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked.

She sighed and shook her head. "My parents. Same old, same old."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Toph thought for a moment about his offer. "Remember the first night we met? When you came over for dinner?"

Two minutes later, and after a very loud, dramatic sneeze, everything on the banquet table was either splattered on the extravagant halls of the Earth King's palace and on a very angry aristocrat's clothes. The Bei Fongs greatly understood the sudden disinterest the young man had in their daughter after that. Toph couldn't imagine a better day.

**Black and Blue**

Katara was used to the earthbender's frequent visits to the tiny healer's station just outside of Ba Sing Se. She'd gotten used to the lifestly since the world no hadn't needed saving in nearly seven years. But it was always something new with Toph; some local thug challenged her and sliced her arm with a dual sword, she made bets that she could take down three of the toughest guys in a tavern who she didn't know were firebenders until her eyebrows got singed off, a rock sliding contest with some young children new to earth bending. Katara enjoyed the visits. It gave them a time to bond since their unfortunate split up after the war. When Aang came to visit, Katara expected more injuries due to Toph's competitive nature and her love of training. When Toph walked in a week and a half later, she wasn't surprised at the trivial cuts and bruises.

"I swear, it's like you two are twelve again," she said, placing a hand glowing with water over a bruise on Toph's temple.

"Trust me, we're not twelve."

Katara sighed at the memories. "I remember travelling the world, seeing all those people. The only problem was not getting the pampering I've gotten used to since settling down."

"Uh huh."

"There's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. Sometimes a girl just needs to…oh my goodness, what happened to your neck?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's covered in horrible dark bruises!" Katara moved Toph's collar down lower. "They're all over your chest too! What in the world have you…" she trailed off, reality setting in. "Toph," she said in a warning tone.

"Well, it's been nice seeing you," Toph said, standing and heading towards the door. Katara reached out for the earth bender, grabbing the hem of the outer robe and causing it to pull from it's knot and fall on the floor.

"Are those finger shaped bruises? On your _hips?_"

"I've got to go."

"Wait, we need to have the talk!"

**Payback**

Aang was more than pleased with the way his plan to humiliate Toph succeded. Those girls from his Calculus class still snickered when he walked by, but his ego was slowly building back. Aang sat back, prepared to give his full attention to the lecture when a campus security officer walked in and whipsered something to the teacher.

"Aang? They need you downstairs," the professor said. He gathered his things and walked outside to the elevator. The security officer handed Aang a folded piece of paper and led him to the elevator.

"You're supposed to go to the front lobby," he said, watching Aang enter the elevator and pressing the button that would take him downstairs.

"You're not coming with me?" Aang said.

"No, I'm supposed to stay up here."

"Oh," he replied, unsure why he was needed if the gentleman wasn't escorting him. "Thanks anyway officer….?"

"I'm not a real officer. She just paid me to make sure you got out of class."

"Wait, what?" Aang said, but the doors had already closed, making the elevator start it's descent. He wasn't sure what waited for him in the lobby, but he was suddenly very nervous. The elevator haulted, causing Aang to lose balance and hit the floor. The lights began flickering and the air turned off. Aang noticed that he dropped the note during his fall, and decided to read it since he didn't know how long he'd be stuck.

"Payback's fun when the joke's not on you!" It read. "See you in a couple hours! Tell the firefighters I said hi. Sincerely, Toph."

**Womanizer**

The worst time of the year had to have been those stupid company formals. Toph's father required them to get all dressed up for the dozens of cameras, hoping to have a picture taken with a socialite. She slid the silky off- white chiffon material over her legs, letting her mother help tighten the bodice.

"That nice young man from the Arbor Salvation Company will be there tonight. Maybe you should introduce yourself," Poppy suggested.

Toph rolled her eyes and adjusted her floor length gown. "Mom, no offense but that's a terrible idea. He'll be surrounded by interns all night, telling some stupid story about how he nursed a baby goat back to health."

"Oh, just give him a chance Toph. He's been helping out your father's company recently. They've actually considered hiring his team to help Bei Fong Industries go green. It's supposed to save us a lot of money."

Toph agreed to be on her best behavior, then followed her parents down the elevator and into the ballroom where the party was being held. Sure enough, there was the young CEO, surrounded by the company's interns who were lucky enough to be invited. Toph didn't see what was so special. Alright, so he was _kind of cute. _Not to mention toned from rock climbing, biking, swimming and whatever ridiculous sport he prattled on about. Toph was bored already. Still, she stood by her mother and listened to yet _another _dreadful tale. Something to do with trying to stop an oil tanker from navigating through a sea of iceburgs.

"The damage would have been catastrophic," Aang said. "Luckily, we managed to flag them down and point them in another direction, just as a family of Orca's swam by. We saved so much that day."

All the girls swooned, including Toph's mother. Toph swiped another glass of champagne before anyone noticed.

"You certainly have a wonderful gift of story telling," Poppy said. "Doesn't he Toph?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. You sure saved those whales." She didn't try to hide her distaste. Poppy clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"I don't think you've met my daughter. Aang, this is Toph. She just graduated from Ba Sing Se University this past May."

"Really?" he said. "Small world. I went to the same school. What was your major?"

"Physical fitness and therapy," she muttered.

Aang seemed interested enough. "Wow, what myst that be like?"

"I get to touch sweaty guys all day. It's no sky diving, but I like it enough."

Poppy watched the exchange between the two. "I have to go see to your father. Toph, why don't you dance?"

"Mom-"

"I love dancing," Aang said. "Would you mind?" Toph glared in her mother's direction and sat her half empty drink on the table. She held out her hand to Aang who led them to the dance floor full of waltzing couples.

"Can you even dance?" Toph accused.

"Of course. I spent two months in Brazil learning their-"

"A simple yes would have sufficed," she interrupted. She didn't mean to be rude, but there was something so arrogant about this boy. Luckily, he took the hint and put a tentative hand on her waist. They moved slowly at first, both testing out each other's skill, then fell more comfortably into rythym.

"I'm very excited to start working with your father's company," he said after a while.

"I'm sure you are."

"I have a lot of ideas that I've been working on," he continued. "Usually a cmpany this large would take a lot of work, but I'm pretty confident we'll leave a pretty big impact."

"Fascinating."

"Is there something wrong? You seem a little upset," he asked. Toph stopped moving and took her hands from his tall shoulders.

"It's pods, you dumbass."

"I'm sorry?"

Toph took a deep breath to try to gain her composure. "You're unbelievable. You try to come off as this sensitive hipster who only cares about the environment, but we both know it's only to get girls. You never shut up about how much you travel the world and all these things you've learned and seen and how much of a 'in-depth' person you are, but your company is barely four months old and it's already making over seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars a month. You're not Ghandi, you're not Mother freakin' Teresa. Stop pretending you're so upset over all the poverty in third-world countries when you're just gonna go home and play Madden '12 or something. And for the love of all that's holy, whales travel in _pods, _not families."

She watched as Aang didn't even blink at her rant. Instead he simply held out his hands to continue dancing, seeing as they were the only ones standing still on the floor. Toph sighed and picked up the dance again, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible.

"I'm sorry that you see me in that way. But, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know so much about me?"

Toph shrugged. "I like to know about the things I can't stand. That way I know what I'm talking about in case I get in an argument."

"Smart," he said. "Well, I've also done my research. You're an only child to one of the most succesful mining and contracting franchises in the world, you graduated in the top twenty five percent of your- or should I say _our_ class, and you opened one of the most succesful training facilities on the east coast only four months ago. Instead of being a socialite like many people in your father's company, you chose to begin working on your own with the money your father gave to fix your car, that you totalled in a street race. Whereas I started out in my grandfather's basement with a facebook page and fliers in a local fast food restraunt."

"It wasn't a street race," she corrected.

"I don't play Madden," he shot back. They danced in silence for a while before he finally said "No offense to your dad, but he doesn't hire the brightest interns. I knew whales travelled in pods. Whenever I told that story, people didn't know what I was talking about."

"Well I guess that makes us the smartest people in the room," she joked.

He smiled down at her. "I suppose it does. Except…"

"What is it?"

"I graduated top fifteen percent."

"Shut up and spin me."

**!_!_!_!_!_!_!_!**

**Okay, I love that last one. I just might make it into a full length story. Please forgive me about The Good Times, it's killing me to get it done. I'll start writing the final chapters, then work my way backwards. (That method seems to work pretty well for me. I do it all the time on tests.) college is amazing, thanks for asking. My major is Environmental Chemistry. But I ain't no hipster!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Fight**

Aang hated fighting with Toph. It was always a constant struggle for dominance between the two. They were natural opposites. Aang thought nothing would be able to sate the ongoing quest for victory.

"Why don't you just give up?" she taunted from across the field. She launched another attack at him, one that barely missed crushing his head. It wasn't the danger that drew him to this game he loathed. It was the experience of using all he had, all that was left of the airbenders, to wipe that stupid smirk off her face.

"Never."

**Lecture**

Toph walked across the campus as fast as she could, trying to hold back the rage that threatened to bubble up. Of course, Aang chose that perfect moment to come smiling up to her, as if everything was right in the world.

"Hey, Toph! What's up?"

"The sky."

Aang sensed something was wrong, but instead of backing off, he decided to get her out of her funk.

"Guess what?" he said.

"Could we not? I mean really, Aang, I'm not in the mood. I feel…frustrated."

Aang opened the door to the lecture hall where the class was held. He followed her up to the back row at the top of the ampitheatre where she liked to sit.

"Anything I can do to help?"

A devilish smirk appeared on her face, making Aang regret the question.

**Meditate**

Aang heard Toph sigh again from where she sat on the floor. He was sitting on the window sill, legs crossed, letting the setting sun soak into him. He opened one eye to see her laying on the floor, letting Momo tie knots in her hair.

"Bored?" he asked.

"Of course."

He patted the space next to him. "You should try it. It's very calming."

Toph groaned and picked herself up, then sat next to Aang. He told her the correct way to position her body, then relaxed himself into his own pose. A minute hadn't passed before Toph sighed again. Aang choose to ignore her, and looked deep into himself. He felt his spirits lift, relaxing his muscles and sending him into a deep sense of serenity. That was, until, someone started rubbing his ears.

"Uh…Toph?"

"What? I'm bored."

"I know that but…that's very distracting."

"Well fine. I'll just do something else."

"Thank you." Aang cleared his mind again, letting Momo's unintelligible chirps relax him into a state of… a pair of hands went from his shoulders, moving slowly across his back, and down into his lap where fingers started pushing past the waist band of his pants.

"TOPH!" Aang gasped, scrambling from her grasp and onto the floor. "You shouldn't- I-I can't.. UGH!" Aang disappeared from the room, leaving Toph laughing until tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Finally," she said, kicking her feet up on the window. "That'll teach him to stay out of my seat."

**Lectures II**

"Toph we-mmm really shouldn't be- oh, crap!"

"What's wrong?" she panted beneath him. "We still have our cothes on, for now." She had her arms wrapped around his neck, laying on the floor of the lecture hall. No one could see them due to the position of the seats.

"But someone could hear us- please stop doing that with your hands!"

"Are you sure?" Toph smiled, taking her hands from his ears. "I don't think you're in the position to negotiate." She kissed him again, and knit her fingers in his thick hair. "We'll just have to be quiet," she purred.

"We could be missing something important," he said, trying to will himself not to give into his girlfriend. Toph talked him into a lot of things, but making out on the floor during a lecture was a step up the ladder. He felt Toph press into him, making him bite back the noise that flew from his throat.

"Well?" she asked.

"They post the notes online, right?"

"That's more like it."

**Ice**

Toph blew her breath into her mittens. She was against coming to the South Pole, for obvious reasons. It was cold. There was ice. She couldn't see. But she underestimated the meaning of cold when she finally agreed to go. No, it wasn't simply winter, it was arctic. Aang opened the flap to her igloo and joined her by the fire.

"There's penguin sledding outside," he said, clearly wanting her to leave her fetal position and join the festivities.

"Great, why don't you go ahead without me? I'll be there when all this snow melts."

Aang surprised her by laughing. "It won't melt, Toph. In fact, this is fall. You haven't seen winter yet."

"I'm not staying here a minute longer than necessary," she grumbled, snuggling into the furs. If the Water Tribes got something right, it was how to kill something. Toph felt the fire slowly dying, and she reached out for another log. Her hands came up with nothing but frost.

"Be a sport and go get me some wood," she said.

"Can't."

"Why?" she said evenly, trying to control her temper.

"There aren't any trees anywhere on the continent, Toph. All parchment, wood, and matches come from the boardering countries. The next shipment isn't for another week."

Toph buried her face in her hands. "So, I basically get to freeze my ass off until some stupid boat comes with firewood? What do these people do to keep warm?"

"They're used to the cold. But when it gets bad they usually stay active to raise their body tempurature."

"I'm not moving an inch. What else do they do?" she asked. She heard Aang shift beside her, ringing a gust of cold air across her face. She pulled the furs closer around her body and fought back a shiver. Suddenly, a warmth began spreading across her back, up her shoulders, and around her torso. Aang had sat directly behind her, letting his legs fall in length with hers. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face to her cheek.

"There's always firebending," he joked. He noticed she was unusually still. "You okay?"

"Mmm hmm. Better, now. Thanks."

**Stroll**

"Well," Aang said. "I didn't learn a thing, thanks to you."

"Oh please, don't pretend you didn't like the distraction," Toph said, lazily holding his hand as they walked out of class. "Come up to my room and we can _study."_

"I don't know," Aang replied.

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a baby."

"I just… I'm not ready, Toph," he said, shrinking away in discomfort. She stopped walking, letting their hands break apart.

"You will if you love me," she said. There was no hint of a joke on her face as they stared each other down. Suddenly Aang snickered, causing Toph to break into laughter. It was the same old playful banter they shared.

"Oh, man. What is _wrong_ with us?" she said, trying to contain herself.

"I don't know," Aang laughed, taking her hand again and continued walking down the path. "That's not fair, by the way."

"What isn't?" Toph asked, sobering up.

"You trying to say it first."

Toph glanced up at him with confusion written on her face. "Say what first?"

Aang took her face in his hands and brought his lips down to hers. She released a startled gasp before deepening the kiss. "I love you," he whispered against her mouth. When they finally broke for air, Toph staggered away as if drunk.

"Do you want to come upstairs?"

Aang rolled his eyes."So not happening."

"Oh come on!"

**Fun**

Toph listened to Aang buzz with excitement as they trudged through the snow in the arctic wasteland that made the South Pole. He tried to talk her into trying some of the rare tribal delicacies, but whenever a vendor offered sea prunes, Aang would stiffen and decline, then surpress a shudder as they hurried away.

"Get into the spirit, Toph."

"It's too cold for the spirit," she said. She was happy for her older friends. Sokka and Suki had made their return to the South Pole, welcoming a baby boy into their family.

"Isn't it so exciting, though?" he beamed. "It seems like only yesterday you were hanging for your life on the edge of an airship, headed to destroy the Earth Kingdom."

"Yeah, good times."

Aang sighed. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

XXXXX

Katara sucked her teeth at yet another bruise on Aang's arm. He was mumbling about how Toph cheated during their snow ball fight.

"Toph, I thought you hated the snow."

She smiled from where she sat in the corner. "I did until I found out there were rocks buried under layers of snow out here."

"Those rocks are used for our weapons, Toph," Katara scolded.

Toph shrugged in return. "Well, at least you guys won't have to dig for them."

**Formal**

It wasn't the fact that she knew no one would approach her at the freshman ball in her university. It wasn't the fact that she had to sit and watch everyone else dance while she made the excuse that her feet hurt in the heels anyway. No, that wasn't why Toph felt emptier than usual. It was the fact that the only person who'd even talk to her during the forced social event was sick with the flu. Toph sighed and ran her fingers over the smooth material of her dress. She checked her cell phone, hoping Aang felt well enough to even try to call. He begged her to go, to take pictures and share them when it was over. He still didn't comprehend that when it came to meeting new people.. Toph didn't click. She wasn't social. She certainly tried to be, but she always felt out of step. A new song came on, a song she recognized, a song she wished she could dance to. She'd look silly dancing by herself. A finger tapped her bare shoulder.

"I thought you were sick," she said, joining Aang on the dance floor. She was so relieved by his arrival that her stomach did flips. She could see the bags beneath his eyes, the sluggish way he moved.

"I got better," he lied. "Just, don't stand too close."

"You'll make yourself worse," she warned, coming close anyway.

"I couldn't let you be alone the whole night. What if some guy tried to hit on you?"

**Choking**

Toph kept her palms to the ground, stopping every few seconds or so to take a deep breath and fight off the coughs that shook through her body. She shyed away from the flames licking up the coloumns of books that lined the wooden walls. She checked her crumbling surroundings again; everyone made it out of the library. She only had to save herself before the ceiling caved in. She heard Katara bending from outside, Sokka barking orders for people to stay back. There was a feather light pulse coming from a room at the far end of the hall. Toph bended herself underground, sucking in the fresh oxygen before heavy smoke could taint it. She found herself beneath the room where the heartbeat came from, and bended herself inside.

"Aang! What in Shu's name are you still doing inside?"

The avatar choked out a strangled cough and crouched to the ground. "I just emptied this room then the door got stuck. Are we the last ones?"

The ceiling caved then, making both benders press against the door to keep from being crushed beneath the burning support beams.

"Yeah, we've got to move. Follow me," she said, putting all her focus into the ground at her feet. A large shard of earth broke down the door, causing the fire to flare wildly.

"Get down!" Aang yelled, throwing them both to the ground before the fire could react to the air that came from the other side. "Don't let go of me, Toph! As long as you have breath in your body, don't you ever let go!"

Outside, Katara's efforts were gwearing thin. "I need more water!" she yelled, raising her hands to find the pull of her element among the ever growing crowd. This is why she hated cities. Too many accidents, not enough rescuers. People didn't act that way in her tribe. But here, no one stopped to help, they stopped to look. Sokka and few Kyoshi warriors pushed the crowd back, threatening a few who wanted a closer look while Zuko steadied himself to try to contain the flames. Suddenly, the windows blew out, as if an explosion happened. The closest people were knocked back several feet, wiping the soot from their eyes.

"No!" Katara screamed. She rushed towards the door, which hung open, large flames coming from inside. Zuko grabbed her roughly, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Let me go!" she screamed. "They're still inside! Toph, Aang! No!"

**Cough**

Aang collapsed on Toph's futon and kicked off his shoes.

"Told you you'd get sick," she teased, taking the expensive earrings from her ears.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Aang said, closing his eyes. He coughed into his jacket sleeve, then fell back on the couch. "I hate being sick."

"I don't know anyone who enjoys it," she said, walking to the couch and sitting down. He rested his head on her lap. "Thanks for being there," she said.

"It was worth it."

**Splash**

Aang splashed Toph again, dodging her fist that came close to his face.

"Cut it out, Twinkle Toes."

"Admit I saved your life," he said.

"Pfft," Toph snorted. "I found you cowering like a little girlbehind a bookcase when I found you. I was the hero that day."

"Were not," Aang challenged. He bended a funnel of wind to mess her hair again. "Just say I saved your life and I'll leave you alone."

Toph reached out to hit him again, but he danced away just in time. Instead she bended a rock, causing him to lose balance and fall head first into the pond. Turtle ducks swam up to him, nipping at his ears.

"Ow!" he said, standing and bending the water from his clothes. "You could have burned to death if I hadn't told you to get down."

"And your spirit would probably still be trying to find a way to open a wooden door," Toph shot back.

Katara looked out at the courtyard in the center of the fire palace. She sighed at the sight of Toph and Aang and what seemed to he a heated discussion.

"They still trying to figure out how they got out alive?" Zuko asked, coming up behind her.

"Yup."

"When should we tell them that I actually put out the fire?"

Katara turned to look at the Fire Lord. "Excuse me? _You _put out the fire?"

**Rain**

Toph kicked at the flattened tire of her car. She hated the drunken bastards who decided to leave a glass bottle in the street. She hated her dangerous nature of speeding with no headlights. Aang told her she'd hit something. She was expecting a dog, or someone's baby, but not an empty bottle on the raniest night of the year. Aang stood from instecting the tire and shook his head.

"We're stuck," he said, as if the fact hadn't already been known. He wiped the drops that hung on his eyelashes. "Please tell me your phone is working?"

"Shit," Toph said, pulling the touch screen from her back pocket. Sure enough, it had been soaked.

"No phone, and no spare. Now what do we do?"

Aang looked down the dark street. "Well, the campus is ten miles up the road. And the closest rest stop was about five miles back…"

"I'm not going anywhere in this rain," Toph said, shrinking at the thunder that rumbled through the sky. They got back in the car, locking the doors and turned on the heat, shivering at the low temperature. "Who builds a college in the middle of nowhere anyway?" Toph said, looking at the miles of trees ahead.

"Well, it's not all bad," Aang said.

"Are you kidding? We're stuck here all night. We'll run out of gas, we'll freeze to death in this rain, and what if there's a flash flood? I refuse to die out here!" Toph ranted.

"Well," Aang started. "At least we're alone."

Toph stared up into thse grey eyes and smiled. "You choose now of all times to get in the mood?"

Aang shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying. And you're not giving me much choice. I mean, seeing you all wet like that is…taking my mind places."

Toph laughed. "You're unbelievable, Twinkle Toes."

"…Is that a yes?"

"Get over here, Aang."

**Flowers**

Aang clutched the bouquet in his sweaty hands, and continued pacing on the hill. He knew for a fact that he wasn't welcome in the extravagant Bei Fong estate, but he felt he had an obligation as a friend. He looked at the fresh panda-lillies, knowing full well what they represented. He laughed at the distant memory of climbing a volcano to retrieve one for Katara. The world seemed so different back then. Everything was easier. Aang took another deep breath. How hard was it to deliver some stupid flowers? He couldn't just leave them at the door, they'd be thrown away.

If he gave them to a servant, Toph would kill him once she ound out he stopped by without a hello. He needed to tell her the reason for his lengthy absence in person, then explain the shocking revalation he made while meditating. He let his child like instincts guide him as he leapt over the fence and into the garden. He ducked behind a bush when a guard walked by, and waited for the man to leave. Just like seven years before, there was a tremble through the earth, followed by him being thrown several feet in the air. He landed on his feet that time, and looked around for the bender responsible.

"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?" she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"I won't answer to that," Aang said, playing along. "It's not manly." He opened his arms in time for her to come crushing into him, half angry, and half relieved at his return. The flowers fell to the ground, unnoticed. Their message had been given in a simple hug.

**Heart Beat**

Toph snuggled deeper into the warm embrace of her boyfriend's bare chest, listening to the slow, steady rythym of Aang's heart beat. She didn't want to open her eyes and ruin the most perfect moment of her life. Aang was still sleeping, his arms limp on her back. He'd been right about the night before not being all bad. Of course it was, for her, but only at first. She realized then that he knew her inside and out. Anywhere else would have been too cliché. Anything planned would have been ruined. In the rain, the dramatic scene of them being stranded, in the back of her most prized possession was absolutely perfect. Aang stirred beneath her, running his hands along her back. They opened their eyes at the same time and stared for a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but she put a finger to his lips. She moved up to his level and kissed him full on the lips.

"I love you," she said, letting him take them both back into their oasis in the midst of a storm.

**New**

Toph stiffened at the voice. Though she fully understood exactly how the world worked, she wouldn't allow herself to accept it. She stood abruptly, letting the delicate tea cup fall to the floor. She ignored the hand that reached out to catch it. Toph tried to steady her breath, waving off the assistant that started to approach. Instead she stood up straight and relaxed her shoulders, smoothing the wisps of grey hair that fell into her sightless eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, in her withered, old voice. "Excuse me for a moment- what did you say your name was again?"

"Korra," the young woman responded. Toph was out of the room before the teardrops could fall.

**_!_!_!_!_!_**

**Okay, okay, I know I'm supposed to be updating the good times, but I absolutely love writing these shorts. Anyone else super stoked for Korra? Anyone? No? That's alright. I saw the trailer and I still can't stop smiling. **


	3. Chapter 3

**All of these are in their world, not ours. Enjoy! There will be five chapters to these shorts.**

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><p><strong>Tropical<strong>

Toph would have never guessed she'd like being in the water so much. She played in the warm waves only up to her knees as Aang chased her with sea weed. Sometimes, it was fun just being a goofy kid.

**Silence**

The way objects seemed to settle at night always annoyed Toph, as if they were echoing the events of the earlier day. She pulled a pillow over her head to block out the sounds of the walls creaking, only to angrily toss it aside, sit up and yell,

"ALRIGHT, I'M SORRY DAMMIT!"

She nearly jumped from her skin when Aang spoke from her door post.

"I'm sorry, too."

He joined her in their bed and kissed her on the forehead, promising to never fight again.

**Luck**

"Hey, look," Aang said, picking up the piece of silver from the ground to hold it in his fingers. "It must be my lucky day!"

"Or someone's unlucky day," Toph said, reaching out to swipe it from him. He held it out of reach, stopping her with his staff. "It's mine!" he said.

"Give me the damn silver, I'm starving."

"You shouldn't have spent all your money on dice."

"Hey, when you're gambling you gotta have the best."

Aang rolled his eyes. "You'll have to trade me something for it."

Toph stopped for a moment to think. "Trade you, huh?" She snapped her fingers as an idea came to her mind. She walked closer to Aang, grabbed the back of his neck and brought him into a deep kiss. He gasped at the sudden sensations and lost himself in their embrace, circling his arms around her slim waist.

He was left stunned and stuttering as Toph walked away with a smirk on her face, waving the silver piece she'd swiped from him.

"Who's lucky now?"

"Still me," he said, pulling her in for another kiss.

**Games**

Toph slid her pai sho tile diagonally, blocking Aang's well thought out trap.

"Oh, man!" he said. "You have no idea how long I've been setting that up!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "I'm a master at sensing, Twinkle Toes. I can tell when you're trying something sneaky."

"You can't know what I'm thinking," Aang said, grumbling into his sleeve.

"I can tell when it's something that gets you excited or nervous," Toph said, capturing his piece with her own. "Usually it's something you can't face, or something you want to say but don't have the guts to."

"Really?"

"Heart beat sensor, remember?" she said, gesturing towards her feet. "Now are you going to make a move or what?"

Aang smiled. "Guess what I'll do next, Toph."

She sighed, but focused on his breathing, which was more erratic than it had been before. "You're about to do something stupid."

"It's not stupid if it's meaningful," Aang said, leaping over the board and scattering the pieces to kiss is girlfriend passionately.

**Flavor**

Aang was never what one would call a tea person. He thought of meditation as an easier way to soothe himself. After years of smelling the faint scent of jasmine in Toph's hair after her bath, he decided to try it one day. He opted for grabbing her and inhaling deeply or kissing her senseless rather than drinking the tea.

**Running**

Even through her window, wiping off the heavy makeup, Aang could sense her sadness. He leapt through the wooden frame, crossing the room to kneel where she sat at the boudoir.

"You're upset…at someone other than me."

Toph managed a smile. "I thought you'd be relieved rather than jealous."

He took her hand, holding it to his face so she could "see" him speaking.

"I want to be the only one you're angry at."

Toph took his face in her hands, tracing the lines if his nose and lips, pausing when he kissed her fingers. The roundness of his boyish face had long faded.

"He won't love you, Toph," he said as if she didn't already know. "You don't need to do this."

"He's a good person, Aang. I've spent months negotiating, but there's no other way."

"Run away with me."

She stood, walking towards her dresser and untying the sash around her waist. Her tunic slid open as Aang removed it from her arms, purposely dragging his fingers across her skin.

"I'm not a nomad," she said, taking the extravagant dress from him and hanging it in its place. She reached up to remove the clasps and head dresses from her hair, batting away his hands when he tried to assist.

"You used to be. During the war you were."

"The war ended ten years ago, Aang. I can't just pack up and leave whenever something bad comes along. I face things head on, remember?" She freed her long hair from its decoration and then moved to the window to close the shutters. Aang stopped her, leaving the window open to the night air. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head against hers.

"Do you love me?"

"I have a responsibility."

"Damn the responsibilities!" Toph knew the situation was serious. Aang never cursed.

She started to move his arms away, but he resisted.

"Please, Aang."

"Tell me you love me, Toph. If you say no, I'll never bother you again." He turned her towards him, kissing the corners of her mouth.

"And if I say yes?" she murmured, lips buzzing against his as she spoke.

"Then you'll have to think of an explanation to your fiancé why I'm around all the time."

She kissed him, fully and without remorse though she could feel the vibrations of her intended just downstairs.

"Never leave me, Aang," she said, clutching him tightly. "Because once we leave tonight, you'll be the only one I'll have."

**Envy**

Toph tried not to let the couples around her get the better of her. She liked being single. She liked her freedom with no obligations or expectations from another person. At the eight end of war celebration, she couldn't help but feel just a little jealous at the tradition of every couple kissing just as the fireworks went off. She couldn't see them, but she wished she had someone to make her feel special; like their presence would light up her sky.

**Lost**

"Okay, I'm not sure how this seeing thing works," Toph said from her spot on Appa's saddle. She was leaning forward so Aang could hear. "But I don't understand how the hell we're way up high with everything there is to be seen below us, and you _still _manage to get lost."

Aang was fuming on Appa's head. "We're not lost. We just…took a wrong turn somewhere."

"Oh really?" Toph teased. "I knew we should've made that left at that cloud a few miles back."

"I know what I'm doing, Toph!"

"Are you sure? Because four hours ago you said we'd be there in ten minutes! I'm blind, not stupid. Ten minutes past ages ago!"

Appa groaned in frustration.

"Appa's right, Toph. You need to trust me. I know exactly where we are."

"You have no idea what thus fuzz monster just said! He could have been telling us he's hungry for all you know!"

"Will you just relax already? You're making me nervous!"

Toph laughed bitterly. "Nervous? You're not the one having contractions over here. You're not the one who has to push not one, but _two _bending babies through your snatch!"

Aang rolled his eyes, hoping they'd reach Katara's healing station before the twins arrived.

**Wind**

Toph felt perfectly at home in the vast earth chambers of the Southern Air Temple. She'd never tell Aang, of course, but it was something about the playful nature of the air that whistled through the ancient grounds that made Toph smile. She could spend an eternity here.

**Echo**

Aang felt Toph lower herself slowly to the bed moments after he did, trying not to wake the grey eyed twins sleeping in a crib across the room. She could feel the chill of the early morning, but didn't care about the hour. They finally managed to get the kids sleeping and settled into their own bed, not bothering to undress or even remove their shoes.

Toph heard a soft cry, getting louder and increasingly louder until it was followed by a nearly identical cry.

"UGH!" she said, sitting up as Aang silenced a cry of his own. "Do they have to do everything together?"

Aang sighed, crossing the room to lift the baby girl into his arms and began rocking her. "They're twins, Toph. What did you expect?"

Toph followed Aang to the crib, taking the baby boy and resting him on her shoulder, rubbing his back gently.

"I expected them to be opposites. Sort of like their parents."

**Bite**

Toph rolled to her side as the poison made her stomach lurch and body rack with pain. Aang pressed a cool cloth to her forehead then ran to the other side of the camp to search through their bags for some sort of remedy.

"What kind of snake was it?"

"Gee, Aang, maybe next time I'll take a closer _look!"_ she said sarcastically, wincing as the pain rolled through her body.

He threw the contents back into the bag, called Appa, and gathered her into his arms.

"We need to get you to a healer."

"What if…." She trailed off, leaving the possibility hanging. Aair whipped around her face as Aang leapt onto the back of Appa's saddle. He set her down carefully while he took the reins.

"It'll be okay, Toph," Aang promised. Even across the fuzzy saddle, she could feel his lie.

**Rain**

Toph usually stayed inside during the rain. It amplified the vibrations around her, causing them to blend into each other and making her dizzy. When Aang landed Appa to wait out the weather, she asked him to help her down, fearful she wouldn't be able to regain her balance and end up walking off a cliff. Toph never liked the rain until Aang held her in his arms, spinning them playfully as the drops splashed them from above.

**Nerves**

Aang looking over the faded scrolls of his people, either rewriting them on new scrolls or writing over the faded kanji with fresh ink.

"Watcha doing, Twinkle Toes?"

He clutched the brush tightly, controlling his anger.

"Silent treatment, huh?" she said, not taking the hint and plopping down on the floor of the study. "That's fine, I'm not a talker anyway. Though, it is a little childish to ignore someone over the last, mouthwatering, delectable fruit tart, don't you think? I personally don't care for them, which is why I gave it to Momo, in case you were wondering."

Aang pretended he didn't hear her and went back to preserving the scrolls.

"You can't ignore me forever."

Aang picked up the smaller brush to draw over the styles of a certain bending technique.

"I'm serious. Soon you'll get overwrought with sadness, and by then I would have gotten bored and left."

He set the freshly painted scroll to the side and moved on to the next one on the other side of the room. Toph stood up, blocking his path.

"You need me," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Excuse me," he said, patiently.

"No."

Aang grabbed her by the shoulders, lifted her from the ground with ease, and set her to the side out of his path. She grabbed the back of his robe, pulling him back to her and crushing their lips together. Aang melted into the embrace, circling his arms around her tightly. Toph pushed him away, smirking as she sauntered out of the study.

"See? You couldn't last a day without me."

**Glow**

Toph would never see the glow of Aang's tattoos when he went into the Avatar State, but she could feel the hum of pure energy radiating from him, and the collective drone of all past lives speaking together. Her instincts told her to run away from the raw power emanating from him, but she couldn't stop the shaking hand that reached out to take his.

**Depth**

"Come on, Toph!" Aang called. She could barely hear him over the stream of water that ran down the slick rocks into the lagoon below.

"I don't know if my near drowning all those years ago was a big enough hint for you," she said backing away from the edge. "But I cannot, do not, and will not _ever _swim."

"Oh, come on!" he said. She heard the rush of air as he bounded to the top of the rocks where she stood waiting. "I'll teach you."

"No thanks."

He reached for her hands with his own. "I won't let you got for a second, I promise."

Toph sighed, the thought of Aang holding onto her was more tempting that the swimming lesson. However, she still agreed.

**Freezing**

Toph shivered against the biting arctic wind as the boat docked, pushing past the sailors and travelling merchants to dry land. Well, solid at least. She pulled her hood tighter, walking down the wooden docks listening for a familiar voice. There was a sickly moment of terror as her foot fell through mid-air; almost walking into the frosty water below. Someone grabbed her arm, keeping her from falling and possibly drowning. Though it had been years since she'd heard the deepened voice, it was still unmistakable.

"You hate every means of travel that disconnects you from the ground, don't you?"

She smiled, turning to hug the man who'd saved her, standing on her toes to reach his neck and feeling the broadness of his chest and shoulders as he hugged her back. "You're damn right I do, Twinkle Toes!"

* * *

><p><strong>I am so excited for Korra! But a little sad Aang and nearly everyone else is dead.<strong>


End file.
